Food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Somali women: A one health approach addressing household food handling challenges.

Abstract

Foodborne illness is a major public health concern. In Somalia, where food security and clean water access are limited, women play a central role in food preparation. This study assessed their food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) using a One Health approach, focusing on human behaviors, food handling, and kitchen practices. A cross-sectional study from December 2023 to February 2024 assessed food safety KAP among 182 Somali women (≥18 years) responsible for household food preparation. We used a structured questionnaire, incorporating One Health domains, and aligned with the WHO's Five Keys to Safer Food. Data were collected using google forms and analyzed using SPSS statistical program. Participants scoring ≥80 % were categorized as having high KAP Chi-square tests showed significant associations between demographics and KAP scores. Overall, 20.3 % (37/182) of participants showed high KAP level, with 47.3 % (86/182) having high knowledge, 50.5 % (92/182) positive attitudes, and 40.1 % (73/182) good practices. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices varied across One Health domains: plant-source food handling (88.5 %, highest), kitchen environment (67.6 %), human-centric habits (50.5 %), and animal-source food handling (36.8 %, lowest). Logistic regression showed higher KAP in participants with university education (OR = 0.2; p < 0.05), occasional cooking (OR = 6.9; p < 0.001), and foodborne disease awareness (OR = 0.3; p = 0.01). Younger (≤30 years), single, and higher-income (> $500) participants had higher KAP, but this was not significant. Good human-centric KAP was significantly associated with good KAP in animal food source safety (OR = 23.5; p < 0.001), plant food source safety (OR = 13.2; p < 0.001), and kitchen environment (OR = 6.6; p <&#x